My Misson Experience

My mission has been a great experience.  The Lord has done so much for me!  My Savior, through the power of His Atoneing sacrifice, has literally changed my life.  I owe everything to Him who did what I could not do for myself!  I love Him.  I know I still have a lot I need to do, but I know through Christ it is possible.  It is possible to return to live with my Father in Heaven after this life is over.  I thank my Savior!

I feel like Ammon who said, "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."(Alma 26: 12).

I will forever remember this mission experience! 

I love these verses of scripture in Mosiah 2: 20-24,

20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—

21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

23 And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.

24 And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?

My Savior has done so much for me.  He has helped me and taught me so much!  I am thankful I came on a mission.  I know that this great work is true.  I know that God called Joseph Smith to be a prophet, and through him the exact same church Christ established was restored again to the earth.  This is Christ's church.  A living prophet is on the earth today!  I know this is true. 

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The Man In The Glass

By Peter Dale Wimbrow Sr.

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say.

For it isn’t your father, or mother, or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.

He’s the fellow to please – never mind all the rest
For he’s with you, clear to the end
And you’ve passed your most difficult, dangerous test
If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.

Testimonies of The Book of Mormon

The Testimony of Three Witnesses

Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken. And we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true. And it is marvelous in our eyes. Nevertheless, the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.

Oliver Cowdery

David Whitmer

Martin Harris

Ask of God

James 1: 5 reads, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

To upbraid is to reproach or censure.  When it says "upbraideth not", it means that God will not get upset with us for asking.  It is actually quite the opposite, God wants us to ask Him!  He wants to help us!  What a great invitation!  Who wouldn't want to ask God, who knows everything and has the ability to help them personally? 

God is our Loving Heavenly Father

God is our loving Heavenly Father.  We are spiritual sons and daughters of God.  He loves us so very much.  He wants to hear from us through sincere prayer.  He has a perfected glorified body.  We are created after the image of God.

We believe in Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ!  I believe and know that Jesus Christ is my Savior.  He is the Son of God.  I know He came and Atoned for my sins.  I know He lives!  It is only through Him that salvation is possible.  He is who all the prophets testified would come.  He will come again. 

Everything is possible only because of what He did.  Without Him, all would be lost (see Alma 34: 9).  He is at the head of this Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I love Him!  He has spoken and He still speaks.  Through a living prophet, He leads us today.

I love the Bible and its witness of the Savior.  I love the Book of Mormon and its witness of the Savior.  I love my Savior!

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Hard Times?

This is so true, we will have hard days.  I know that even though things seem so tough and difficult to face, the Lord will not leave us comfortless.  He will help us!  I love the the scriptures they teach us so much about this. 

1 Nephi 21: 14-16 read, "But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me—but he will show that he hath not.  For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."

Why Not?

Why not be obedient?  What good comes from disobedience?  Do you want to be happy?  Do you want to have peace?  Do you want to return to live with God? 

Luke 18: 18, 20-23, "And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich."

The Fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Has Been Restored

The fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ is on the earth.  The exact same church that Christ set up while He was on the earth is here.  It is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Jesus Christ stands at the head of the church.  He leads and directs the church through a true and living prophet today.  I know that this is true.  My invitation to you is to consider the evidence and pray and ask God yourself if this is true.

Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Throughout history God has called prophets.  There has also been many instances of apostasy.  Apostasy is when people choose to reject the prophets and their teaching.  When people chose to reject the prophets, God would withdraw His priesthood authority from the earth.  When the time was right, God would call another prophet to restore His gospel anew.  God even sent His Son, Jesus Christ.  Incredibly, people even rejected and crucified Him.  With the death of Christ and the rejection of His Apostles, the world fell into a dark night of apostasy.


God loves us so much that when the time was right, He again reached out to His children in love. After the long night of darkness and apostasy, God called another prophet to restore His gospel anew! This prophet is Joseph Smith!

Prophets

Throughout history God has called prophets. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and many others. They were called of God and given the priesthood, which is power and authority given to man to act in God's name. They taught the people about Jesus Christ and what they needed to do to follow Him. Amos 3: 7 reads, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." Everyone has their ability to choose, some chose to follow their teachings and others chose not to. When the people followed the prophets, they were blessed. When the people chose to reject the prophets, God would withdraw His priesthood authority to teach and administer the ordinances of the gospel.

"A Foundation Whereon If Men Build They Cannot Fall"

Life is hard.  Everyday seems to have its own set of challenges.  Some storms of life are little showers that pass relatively quickly.  Some storms of life are tsunamis that could destroy almost everything.  With a pretty much unpredictable forecast if events in life, how can we not get washed away?  The answer is Christ!  He is the unchanging solid foundation we can build on!
Helaman 5: 12 reads, "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

"The Gospel is Simply Beautiful and Beautifully Simple."

I love the teachings of the gospel.  I know what I need to do to be happy.  As my mission president puts it, "the gospel is simply beautiful and beautifully simple."  We either follow Christ and are happy, or we don't and are not happy.  It is simple.  When we do make mistakes, we humbly turn to Chrisrt and use His sacrifice and repent.  It is our choice, we don't have to yeild to sin and evil.  God is our loving Heavenly Father; He will never turn His back on us.

"The Race"

attributed to Dr. D.H. "Dee" Groberg

Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,
my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.
They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son,
and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.
 
The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire,
to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.
One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,
was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”
But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip,
the little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace,
and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.
As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now.
Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.

But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”
He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.
He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”
 
But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face
with a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”
So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last.
“If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!”
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten...
but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye.
“There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try?
I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.
 
“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “you haven’t lost at all,
for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!
You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!”
So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,
and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,
still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.
Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.
 
They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place,
head high and proud and happy -- no falling, no disgrace.
But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,
the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
“To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”
 
And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face,
the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”

"Touch of the Master’s Hand"





By Myra Welsh

T’was battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.

"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who’ll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar," then, two! Only two?
"Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?

"Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three . . . "But no,
From the room, far back, a grey haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said: "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.

"A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?
Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice;
And going and gone," said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand
What changed its worth?" Swift came the reply:
"The touch of a master’s hand."

And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.

A "mess of potage," a glass of wine;
A game, and he travels on.
He is "going" once, and "going" twice,
He’s "going" and almost "gone."

But the Master comes and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought
By the touch of the Master’s hand.

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Repentance and Change

Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we have the opportunity to repent.  Repentance is more than cleansing us from sin.  We all can repent.  If we exercise faith in Christ and repent, we can be free form feelings of guilt and shame caused by sin.  I really like what Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

The Book of Mormon

I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon!  I have read it, and I have felt the Spirit testify to me.  I know that it is God's word.  It contains the fullness of the everlasting gospel.  I know that by the gift and power of God, Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon.  It is another testament of Jesus Christ.  The only way to know if it is true is to read it and pray about it.  If you want to know if it is true, find out yourself!  

Believe Him

Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount taught, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.  Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"(Matthew 7: 7-11).  The power and importance of prayer is just one of many things that the Lord Has taught us.  A question that I would like to bring up for us to ask ourselves is: do I believe Him?  There is a difference between believing in Him and believing Him.  Do we believe Him?

Worth of a Soul

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;"(Doctrine and Covenants 18: 10).  How great we may ask?  It is so great that He gave His life for all of us.  "For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.  And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.  And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!"(Doctrine and Covenants 18: 11-13).

Basketball Playoffs

Basketball playoffs, here is where champions are born.  Who will rise or fall under the pressure?  It is where all is left on the court.  The battles on the hardwood.  The fans are loud.  Best of 7, every game counts.  Teamwork, defense, fundamentals, who wants it more?  A lot can be said, but what happens in the games is what counts.  The teams that have made it have proved themselves throughout the season, but what they do now is what counts the most.  Forget the season, they now have to perform.

"Come unto me"

Christ has given the call, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."(Matthew 11: 28.)   How do we come unto Christ?  We heed the call.  We do what is right, even when it is hard.  We love and serve others.  We repent and become something better.  We do the best we can.

Easter, Remembrance of Christ

Easter is all about Christ!  It is a celebration of what He did for all of us.  Easter is a time to remember the death and resurrection of our Lord.  A time to remember the sacrifice made; a sacrifice that we could not do.  "For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord."(Helaman 14:15).  A sacrifice that has opened the door to Heaven.  Opened the gate to all if we repent and turn to Him.  "Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God."(Helaman 3:28).

"Peace, be still."

"Peace, be still."  This is a simple phrase that the Savior used to calm the storm in Mark 4: 39.  He was awoken from his sleep in the middle of a great storm(verse38), "and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?"  He calmed the storm, and in verse 40 "said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"  The Lord of all is willing to help us through our storms of life if we but ask Him. 

"RISE ABOVE THE BLUES"

Change can be difficult.  I have had a lot of experiences on my mission that have really made me change.  It is interesting to be able to look back on my life and see how things were placed in front of me to remind me who I am.  Every experience we go through is for a reason.  Our whole mortal life is for a reason.  Our purpose is to find out who we are, and change to become what we were meant to become!

How to Prepare for the Big Test

What happens when we die?  Are we ready to meet God?  How will we feel?  What is our purpose in life?  How can we be safe?  Change is hard sometimes, especially if we aren't familiar with what will happen.  A fear many people have is death.  How can we be prepared?  What can we do?

Stay Afloat

All the water in the world

no matter how hard it tried

could never sink the smallest ship

unless it got inside.

All the evil in the world

and every kind of sin

could never doom a human soul

unless we let it in.

Our Savior's Call

I am so thankful for the call of the Savior.  Christ has given us the call to, "come forth unto me."(3 Nephi  11: 14).  He also calls, "Follow thou me."(2 Nephi 31:10).  The invitation of the Savior is to come and follow Him. He wants to bless and change us!  The question is, how do we come and follow Him?

The Sure Compass

"O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever."(Alma 37: 46).  I found this counsel of Alma to his son Helaman interesting.  Life is difficult right?  What does Alma know that we need to know?

The Message of the Book of Mormon

As I was listening to a talk given by Jeffery R. Holland, something great was brought to my attention.  He said something to the effect that, the message of the Book of Mormon is that Christ does not fail us.  He taught that this is the truth that is talked about clear throughout the Book of Mormon.  This is the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, this is the message of the Book of Mormon.

Joy or Pleasure

Fire has been a great tool for man since it was first harnessed.  It can do so much: cook food, bring warmth, protection, and can be beautiful.  It is a great tool.  This great tool can also be very destructive.  The same tool that can be used to bring joy and warmth into a home when contained inside of the fireplace, if allowed outside, can burn and destroy the whole house, and everything inside of it. 

Do We Know Christ, Or Do We Just Know About Christ?

Do we know Jesus Christ?  I am not saying know about him, but do we know our Savior?  How can we really know our Savior?

Faith, Works, and Grace

Faith, Works, and Grace.  This is a topic that is often misunderstood.  I would like to clarify what we must have in order to be "saved."  What I have come to know to be true is that we need all 3.  Without them all, God's plan would be frustrated. 

Why Baptism?

How can we live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?  What must we do to return to Heaven?  What step must we take?  Romans 6 tells us what we must do to be with Christ:

 6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

 7For he that is dead is freed from sin.

 8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

 9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

 10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

 11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul teaches us that our old man must die.  We must die with Christ and then we will be raised with Christ also.  So how is this done?

The Enemy Inside Of Us

There is a destructive force very active in the world.  One that is the cause of so much heartache, chaos, and fear.  It is a force that we all have to deal with daily.  Found at its very core is the devil.  The force is anger!  The Savior put it best when He said, "For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another."(3 Nephi 11: 29)  So if it is so prevalent and powerful, how can we overcome?

What's In Your Garden?

How do we get what we want?  Is there a sure way to get good in return?  What must we do to be happy?  These are some big questions, especially in a world that may feel like nothing is certain.  Today I would like to write a little about a few things we can do that will certainly wield rewards we can count on.  I have been reading the New Testament.  The other morning in my studies, I came across a few verses of scripture in Galatians chapter six.  It is simple, but has such a powerful message.  Verses 7-9 read,

"7Be not decieved; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

 8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

 9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

How Do We Avoid Sin?

Nehemiah, in the Old Testimate, started a large task.  He recieved permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.  He, and those helping him, worked hard.  They were focused on their work; they knew what they wanted to accomplish.  There were other people who didn't like that they were rebuilding the wall.  They sent messangers to Nehemiah"saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono."(see Nehemiah 6: 2)  Nehemiah recognized that "they thought to do me mischief."(see Nehemiah 6: 2)  He sent a reply back to them.  Nehemiah 6: 3 reads: "And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?"  He did this with all 4 of their attempts.  Nehemiah was firm in his decision; the wall was finished in just 52 days!

Are we Alone?

How can we face challenges?  How can we find peace in a world of war?  How can we rise above addictions that have a strong grip?  How can we live when all seems lost?  How is it possible?  Perhaps it isn't on our own.  To be honest, we can't on our own.  Then how is it done?

Elisha, a Prophet in the Old Testament, had a very big obstacle to face.  It was a army of soldiers, horses, and chariots.  He was surrounded, outnumbered, and yet, not afraid.  What did Elisha know, when facing a Syrian army, that we need to know?

You Are What You Eat

There are a lot of things in the world that compete for our attention.  Whether it is the media, school, friends, religion.  A lot of things are beckoning for our attention.  Our personality, even our character, is determined by our choice of activities and things we do.  It makes sense, what is taken in is what comes out.  If you plant a apple seed, you can expect a apple tree.  There would be no reason to expect a orange tree.

Superbowl

It's playoffs.  The Superbowl is coming fast.  This is the time when the best teams put it all on the line in pursuit of the Lombardi trophy.  Down to the final 4 teams.  The weather is cold, fans are going crazy, and the whole season is on the line.  Doesn't get much better than this.  It is a epic struggle of strength, talent, and wits.  Lots can be said, but it all comes down to what happens on the turf.

Life is a lot the same!  This is it, our mortal experience!  All eternity is based on how we "perform" here in life.  We are fighting against a rough opponent, who is willing to do all it takes to drag us down.  The season is short, some of us might already be in the late 4th quarter.  It is hard, but we have a good coach behind us.  His name is Jesus Christ.  He has been in this big game before.  He had a perfect "season."  He knows the way to victory.  He has given us a super playbook, the scriptures.  He is cheering us on and willing to help in any way to see us win! 

What is the purpose of life?

"Near the end of his life, one father looked back on how he had spent his time on earth. An acclaimed, respected author of numerous scholarly works, he said, “I wish I had written one less book and taken my children fishing more often.”

Time passes quickly. Many parents say that it seems like yesterday that their children were born. Now those children are grown, perhaps with children of their own. “Where did the years go?” they ask. We cannot call back time that is past, we cannot stop time that now is, and we cannot experience the future in our present state. Time is a gift, a treasure not to be put aside for the future but to be used wisely in the present."  This is a quote from Thomas S. Monson from his talk "Dedication Day." 

Justice and Mercy

Rules are great and terrible, depends on which side you are on.  They are important to keep us safe, and they allow us to grow.  What happens if rules are established that we can't possibly live up to?  We are all found in this predicament.  The rules are the rules of Heaven.  We all agreed to live them before we even came to earth, so that we could have a chance to progress.  The problem is that in order to succeed we have to be perfect.  If we can't do it, how can it be paid in full?  I was reading through some old Ensigns the other night, one talk really caught my attention.  I have included a quote from it.  The talk is from James E. Faust.  It's title is, The Atonement: Our Greatest Hope.  This part really stuck out to me:

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Why do bad things happen to good people?   He didn't do anything wrong; why did that happen to him?  These are a couple of examples of questions that some of us have.  I have heard these a few times on my mission.  I have also heard with these the connection between problems happening to good people and the drastic assumption of there not being a God.  This is a bold and not true claim.  I will write about an example of bad things happening to good people, and how they used God to overcome.  My purpose in writing this is to help others more understand the purpose of trials in life, and that how we react to them affects the outcome of the whole experience.

Sick and Tired

For the past few days I have been sick.  It is no fun being sick.  I have a cold; the sore throat is not any fun.  I have been takeing medicine, but I still don't know what is wrong.  The weather has been really cold.  This isn't helping my cause.  I think I need to figure out something different to get rid of this.  Maybe I need to recoup.  On this same subject, I would like to address those of us who may be sick and tired, spiritually, who haven't been able to find help.  To get better takes medicine, it takes change, and it takes time.  Just like what I am going through with the cold, concoring spiritual sickness takes this too.

The Greatest Act Ever Done

I wish to write about the Atonement.  This is the single most important act in all human history.  There is so much I could say about this, but I will only write just a little.  With reverence I wish to address this topic.  First I would like to address why it is so important.  Jacob, a Prophet from the Book of Mormon, wrote,

"Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more. O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more. " (2 Nephi 9:7-8)

How can we find stability in a world of trouble?

I can't begin to count how many times on my mission I have heard, many times in many ways, people express a voice of concern because of all the bad in the world.  This is a topic that weighs on a lot of our minds.  I feel like there is a push to find stability and safety.  In the world there is much concern and confusion.  In this quest to find safety physically and spiritually, we must turn to God. 

When we turn to God we seek His Spirit and His words.  We can receive council from God as we study the scriptures.  The scriptures are God's word given to man through His Prophets.  Nephi, a Prophet in the Book of Mormon, said this about the scriptures, "And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would  hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction."  This is found in 1 Nephi 15:24.  If we desire to be safe and have peace, we must study the scriptures.

Be Happy

I have meet a lot of different people on my mission with all sourts of backgrounds.  Some people are wealthier than others, some have more family members, and some are more outgoing.  Even with all of these different backgrounds, everyone seems to have a mutual purpose in life.  The purpose is to be happy.  I have seen that there are a lot of different ideas on how we can be happy or have fun.  I would like to suggest a way that has greatly influenced my life.  The way I have found to true happiness is through God, our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ's sacrifice.  The way to happiness is following Christ's example.  His example is a one of obediance to God's commandments.  We as people do fall short, but that is what his sacrifice is for.